April Tips
There is so much to do in April it is difficult to know where to start. Probably the centrepiece of many gardens is the lawn. To get a really superb looking lawn takes time and trouble, but it is well worth it and now is the time to start. Cutting - with the blades set high - should now be underway and a thorough scarifying with a wire rake pays dividends. Also the first dressing with a feed, weed and moss killer should be applied at this time of the year but only when rain is expected - read the instructions. Also, if your soil is heavy perhaps a lawn dressing would help to restructure the soil around the grass.
Having mentioned the lawn it is logical to move to the flower borders. The perennials in the herbaceous border should now be into good growth and will greatly benefit from a feed of a fertilizer such as Fish, Blood and Bone. If the clumps of Delphiniums and Lupins etc. look too dense and crowded, take some of the outer growth off and make cuttings - they strike very easily. It is also a good idea to put into place any supports that may be needed for tall subjects later on. Easier to get at them now than when they are in full growth, some of which will probably have already blown down! It’s a good idea to sow a few seeds, in situ, of things like Cornflowers, Larkspur, Lavatera, Cosmos etc. for cutting as well as adding colour to any border.
Any bulbs that have finished flowering should have their old flower heads removed (but not any foliage) and given a feed. This is to build them up for next year. Remember a bulb relies on its food storage from this year to produce next years crop. On no account remove any foliage until at least six weeks after it has finished flowering, and then don’t pull the foliage out until it will leave the bulb easily - don’t tug them out.
In the vegetable garden many sowings can now be made of most subjects except, of course, tender crops such as French beans and Runner beans (Broad beans are very hardy). Also it will be a few more weeks before subjects such as Courgettes, Marrows, outdoor varieties of Tomato etc can be planted out although, of course, plants can be raised in a heated greenhouse in readiness. When sowing salad crops etc don’t sow too much at once - it doesn’t stand too well when mature and may spoil before you’ve had chance to use it. Sow little and often - about 7-10 days interval for continuity. Don’t delay planting early potatoes.
Don’t forget, as mentioned in last month’s Browser, any early flowering shrubs which have finished blooming should now be cut back.
Dahlia tubers can be started into growth now in the greenhouse. Put the tubers into compost in pots or deep trays and start watering. Growth should soon appear. If the tuber is mature and several shoots come up, some could be removed and used as cuttings - they strike very easily. One year old plants produce superior flowers, but of course, there are fewer of them. Ideally leave 3 or 4 good shoots to each tuber for later growing on.
Plant Lily bulbs and Gladioli corms now. Lilies should be planted at a depth of 6”-8” (15-20cm) depending on mature height which can vary considerably depending on the variety. They benefit from good drainage so it’s always worth putting a handful of grit or coarse sand at the bottom of each planting hole. Plant Gladioli at a depth of 4”-6” (10-15cm). They too like good drainage and they flower about 90 days after planting. If you are planting a large quantity of Gladioli, why not consider planting batches at, say, 10 day intervals so that they don’t all flower at the same time.
